Bryce Quartz is Ready to Release The Sextape

1st October 2024 John Hernandez

The bear community’s favorite bad boy cubby rapper, Bryce Quartz, will release his EP The Sextape on October 4^th. (Pre-save HERE).

Since bursting onto the scene Bryce Quartz has shocked and delight audiences with his infectious beats and impeccable rhymes. The lyrical content of his raps speak to the unapologetic, sex positive and proudly queer generation coming up in the ranks nowadays but is simultaneously accessible to anyone looking to have a good time on the dance floor ….or in the bedroom!

Though based in New York, Bryce has performed both around the country and the world with sexy, high-energy sets that always get the crowd moving. He is also the resident host of Club Chub NYC. However, due to ongoing health concerns, he has had to put live performing on the back burner as he recovers but he is still releasing his highly anticipated EP The Sextape.

We sit down with the talented rapper on the eve of his EP release.

Bryce Quartz (Photo by Catalin Stelian-Shanks)

John Hernandez (JH) Hi Bryce! Thanks for joining me! The long-awaited Sextape EP is rolling out on October 4th. How does it feel to bring this project to fruition?

Bryce Quartz (BQ): It feels extremely cathartic to be at this finish line! I started writing these songs over 3 years ago and have been performing them since the very first demos were completed. Thousands of dollars, months of different health issues in between, and weeks of planning later, I’m ecstatic to finally see it released for the world to hear. A true labor of lust and love!

JH: Looking at the track list- “Sodomite”, “C*m Pirate” and “Daddy D*ck” have been previously released but the EP includes clean versions – why did you decide to do that?

BQ: I felt the need to include clean versions partially as a joke, but also as a backup plan for if the promo got taken down across social media. I do think it’s kind of hilarious listening to the “clean” versions of the tracks because like, what was I thinking telling my cishet engineer to clean up my music? One of my favorite moments in the studio while doing that with Mitch, my engineer, he goes “so do you think you can hear daddy dick here or no?” and to be honest, I never imagined a straight man would ever say that to me.

JH: The videos for “Cum Pirate” and “Daddy Dick” are notorious! Tell us about the journey to XXX music videos. What was the experience like? What has the response been?

BQ: It was quite a complex planning process but also a comfortable transition figuring out how to combine XXX content that I’ve been creating since I moved to NYC (ya know, cause rent and bills here are much different than North Carolina lol) despite how easy it may have seemed after publishing them. Both videos took a few hours of planning on my end, but my videographer and editor Catalin truly helped these visions come to life. Each video took about 6-9 hours to film, and only God knows (and his unfortunate neighbors) how many hours of editing for Catalin. At this point I think he’s seen me naked more than most of my exes (laughs).

JH: “Gameboy” and “F**K” are brand new tracks- what can listeners expect?

BQ: “Gameboy” is one of my favorite tracks I’ve ever made. It takes the same energy from all the other tracks on the EP, it’s aggressive, sexy, and tells about many different escapades of horniness. It has some 8-bit samples for the instrumental, it just felt so obvious for me. The initial idea for the hook was reminiscing about being young and playing my Gameboy until I physically couldn’t. I would play until the game was beat or my fingers literally ached.

“F**K” is the closer of the EP, and for that, it’s the most aggressive song I’ve ever made. I literally lost my voice recording it, it took me two separate sessions to get it right. The song is a synopsis of a sex binge. Drugs, poppers, orgies, and full-on aggressive horniness. I consider it a sub-genre called “Trap Metal.” It probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but man was it fun to write and record. By the end of listening to the EP from start to finish, the listener should have horny whiplash, and if you get that, mission accomplished.

JH: You’ve been very public about your recent health struggles. Tell us about that. How are you feeling?

BQ: Currently, everything is still up in the air. I was hoping to have some more answers by the time the EP came out, but I’m still out of work and still in lots of pain daily. I do have a good head on my shoulders though, more so than a few weeks ago when all of this began. Through this process, I’ve had a lot of time to self-reflect on my own accomplishments and appreciate the people around me who love and care about me. My boyfriend Jason has been there for me through it all, he’s been an angel and a huge light in my life. Everyone who has reached out, donated to my GoFundMe, or even just sent me memes – it doesn’t go unnoticed. A lot of my crying lately has really been about feeling grateful to even be given the life that I have. I can’t lie though; it’s been extremely hard navigating this. I tried recording a song from home a few weeks ago and it hurt rapping just sitting down. That scares me. A lot. I don’t know when I can return to live shows or if life will ever be “normal” for me again, and I might not have a lot of answers right now, but I know it will be okay in the end. I will find a way to do what makes me happy regardless of what happens.

JH: How will your health impact promotion for The Sextape?

BQ: I’ve promoted the EP once since this pain began. I can barely walk right now, so promoting it how I wanted to is completely out the window. The important thing is, the EP is done, and it’s coming out. This is a foundational project for me, something I can perform for years to come. I can always properly promote it in the future, but for now I need to go on hiatus to focus on me and my health. I know my true fans will appreciate the work I’ve put into this, and I’m thankful for that. There are also 6 remixes coming out later, might put that out around the holiday season as an added extra. I also had a physical zine I was planning on releasing, still want to do that too, just when I get back on my feet. I think it’s best for me to step away for now though, keep the promo light, and be proud of how far I’ve come and what I’ve accomplished. Despite my health issues, this has been a successful personal growth year for me creatively, physically, and mentally. It’s time to heal, no live shows from me for a while.

JH: Completely understandable. Take the time to rest and recover. Your community will be there for you when you are ready to come back. In the meantime, how can your fans help support you and the EP?

JH: Streaming it when it comes out, posting thirst traps on social media with the songs in the background, making tik toks with it in the background, sending it to friends, all of that really goes a long way for independent artists just like me. None of it goes unnoticed, I tend to see it all, especially if you tag me. At the end of the day, I’m extremely proud of this body of work, and however the world perceives its release, that’s just how life goes. I can’t wait to continue this journey with my fans and share the process of life along the way. I just hope it makes many out there feel less alone.

JH: Anything else you’d like to mention?

BQ: I want to thank my designer for the single cover arts, @SafetyCub. He’s truly a sweetheart. He’s handsome, he’s talented, he’s worth commissioning for any piece you’d like from him. Go give him a follow. To my designer for the EP cover art Chris Correa, thank you. You made this overarching vision of the EP come to life – Vintage VHS porn fantasy with a modern twist. That is The Sextape from Bryce Quartz. Nick White, you are a king for doing so much of my promo material. Standing in the cold at Hudson Yards last winter, to getting wet at the Santa Monica beach before taking me to LAX to fly home. You’re an icon and I love you. To Clair Stevenson, my leather daddy mentor, thank you for the harnesses you made me through your company Cockeye Kink. The gear you sponsored me with makes me feel so sexy and seen, making my leather visions come to life. Thank you for everything. To Big Daddy Karsten and JesseParadice, thank you for being my best friends and supporting me as I made my visions come to life. You saw everything I went through over the years to achieve this vision, and your friendship and advice hasn’t gone unnoticed through it all. I love y’all. And of course, to you and Richard, for being so supportive of me on this journey over the years. You are my chosen family, and I love y’all more than I can show you both. As a final note, this EP was a craft created only by the help of other queer people within our community besides my engineer and producers. I am proud of that, and I’m beyond thankful for everyone involved. Can’t wait to show y’all the companion EP I have coming out next year, fingers crossed.

JH: Amazing. You should be very proud of yourself and we love you too! I am so excited for the world to hear The Sextape and I can’t wait for the day when you are all better and back on stage. Big hugs!

BQ: Thank you so much!